North Oak Cliff Public Improvement District nears deadline

@jeannette_t68

Proponents of a North Oak Cliff Public Improvement District, which would raise about $160,000 a year for neighborhood improvements through property tax, have about two weeks to complete a petition that allows the plan to move forward.

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The Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce and some commercial property and business owners have been collecting signatures in favor of creating a public improvement district in the neighborhood surrounding the Bishop Arts District. It would levy a 12-cent tax per $100 of valuation on commercial and multifamily properties for seven years.

For the proposal to gain City Council consideration, at least 60 percent of affected property owners must sign the petition. That percentage can be calculated three ways: by valuation, by number of parcels or by land mass.

By valuation of properties in the area, which includes Bishop Arts, part of Jefferson and part of the Oak Cliff Gateway at Beckley and Zang, about 42 percent have signed, says chamber president Bob Stimson.

“That’s pretty dang incredible,” he says.

He says “a significant number of property owners” don’t live in Oak Cliff, and many live outside Dallas, so tracking them down has been a challenge.

By number of parcels or land mass, about 30 percent have signed, Stimson says. The group set a deadline of March 21 to collect all of the signatures, but the actual deadline to file with the city is March 31.

If approved, the North Oak Cliff PID would tax only commercial and multifamily property owners in the PID area for seven years. Those claiming a homestead exemption and nonprofits would not pay the 12 percent tax.

It is estimated that it would raise about $160,000 a year, which would be used for public safety, marketing and public improvements.